


Here With Me

by Victorious56



Category: RWBY
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-28 08:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30136767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorious56/pseuds/Victorious56
Summary: It's said a picture is worth a thousand words.Tai has a lifetime of them.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ospreyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ospreyx/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Matt 🙂 I hope you have a splendid day.
> 
> Inspiration for this comes from the [Killers song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Pu9FqXV1Q) of the same name, from Battle Born - probably my favourite album of theirs.

"Now, the question is, when did you have your last one?"

Zwei looked up at Tai as he absentmindedly scratched the corgi's ears. He knew the answer, and barked twice. Tai glanced up from his scroll.

"If only I'd learnt dog, we could have a good conversation. Then it wouldn't be so quiet around here."

When the girls were back at Beacon, and Tai was on his own with only Zwei for company, the house seemed too big.

Zwei put a paw on Tai's arm and licked his wrist encouragingly.

"It's important, Zwei. If you don't keep up with your jabs you might get sick." He thumbed through the scroll again, his fingers slipping as Zwei nudged him.

"What? It isn't dinner time yet..."

The scroll displayed, not the calendar, but a series of pictures in a grid. It was the faces of all those dear to him, collections of photos gathered together by the face recognition algorithm on his scroll. Tai gazed at them, smiling. He tapped on one of the images.

  


_"Stop wriggling, Sum! Then I won't have to press so hard." Qrow scowled at the prone form beneath his foot, struggling to keep his balance. He linked arms with Tai, and they steadied each other as they faced towards the person taking the photo._

_"Tai, I've no idea why I agreed to this, and if it isn't done in thirty seconds I will absolutely bite your ankle," Raven hissed up at her team mate, whose boot was planted firmly in her back._

_"You'll get your turn; stop complaining and look happy." He turned his smile on the camera, and she grimaced at him before growling, "Twenty seconds and counting."_

_"Let's just smile sweetly, Rae. We can get them back later." Summer's last words were a whisper as she nudged Raven, who was squirming at her side._

_"Come on, Bryony! While you've got the chance."_

_Tai's scroll clicked several times, then he stepped over Raven and took it, inspecting the photos closely. "Yep, there's a good one here. Thanks, Bryony."_

_"No problem!" She walked off, and Tai felt his scroll whipped from his hand._

_Raven tackled him to the ground. "Our turn, now."_

  


Tai chuckled. There wasn't a photo of the girls holding him and Qrow down, because by the time they'd finished tussling, everyone else had gone inside. His smile waned a little as he studied the four young faces in the picture. With a sigh, he went back to the gallery of images.

  


_"I never thought I'd be doing this, Tai. Never in a million years."_

_"Well, we did. Now, hold her so she's facing the camera, and try to smile, Rae."_

_Raven angled the baby towards Tai, holding her firmly._ I'm not sure I can do this. Everyone's overjoyed... except me.

_Her mouth curved in a small, secret smile. She'd done far more difficult things in her life, surely. Raising a child couldn't be that hard... so many people did it. And she had Tai to help... they'd cope. Together._

_Her smile widened as she glanced towards the baby's father._

_"That's it! Hold it there!"_

  


"Yang's so tiny." Tai's remark was unheeded by Zwei, who had fallen asleep with his muzzle resting on Tai's leg. "Not so small now, though."

His finger hovered over the screen. The next face was laughing, full of life...

  


_"Summer! Stop it." Tai's helpless pleas went unregarded as she tickled him mercilessly._

_"I may not have the brawn, but I've definitely got the brain." She climbed onto Tai's lap._

_"This is more like it." He caught her wrists, holding her arms wide. "Now I've got you."_

_Summer leant forwards, pressing her soft mouth to his. "You've always got me, Taiyang."_

_After a long moment, he pushed her gently away. "Let me take a picture."_

_"But you've got my hair all messed up!"_

_"Doesn't matter, Sum. You're perfect either way."_

  


Tai rubbed the heel of his hand against his eyes. When he could see clearly, he peered at the screen again. "We've got loads of you, Zwei."

The image he tapped on was somewhat blurred. The only part in focus was the flowerbed behind Yang.

  


_"Take it, Daddy! Take it!"_

_"I'm trying." Tai wasn't sure whether to laugh or shout with exasperation. The new puppy was running around Yang in circles, and she was jumping up and down and squealing with glee._

_Ruby, cradled in his left arm, was grizzling miserably and in no mood to be cheered up by the combined excitement of Zwei and Yang. He held his scroll awkwardly in his right hand, trying desperately to keep it steady._

_"Do it, Daddy! Before he runs off."_

_Tai took the picture and almost dropped the scroll on the ground. Zwei finally rushed off to explore the garden, Yang scampering after him._

_He jiggled Ruby up and down, tickling her cheek with his hair. She grabbed a handful and pulled. Hard. Tai managed not to shout; at least she was smiling now._

_"Here, pipsqueak... careful of your old dad." A familiar voice sounded behind him, and Qrow carefully disentangled her fingers. "He needs that hair." He lifted Ruby away, allowing Tai to attempt to smooth his tangled blond mop._

_"Thanks, Qrow."_

__  


"That was so long ago." Tai scritched Zwei's ears gently, and the corgi whined softly in his sleep. "So many years... now we're both old, and the girls are all grown up."

With a small sigh, he opened another album of pictures.

  


_"Yang, pull your skirt straight, it's hanging unevenly."_

_"You could always just take it from the waist up, Uncle Qrow."_

_"Nah, gotta get the full effect, firecracker. Now then, Tai. Try to look like a proud father."_

_"I_ am _proud, Qrow. Couldn't be prouder of my two wonderful girls, heading off to learn how to be hunters."_

_"Kick that Grimm ass!" Ruby pumped her fist, leaning forward to high-five Yang in front of Tai's face._

_"Ruby! More decorum, please! Although... that is what you'll be learning, so fair enough, I guess." Tai rubbed his nose._

_"Come on, then. All look this way and say_ Beacon, here we come _."_

_They did as they were bid, and Qrow took several photos before handing Tai's scroll back._

_"They're great, thanks, Qrow. Okay girls, you can go and pack your uniforms back up now. Next time you wear them, you'll be at the Academy."_

__  


"And there they were, gone. And the house suddenly felt very quiet. Until the holidays, anyway."

He looked at the face on the final album. "And if I can find a decent photo in here, it'll be a miracle."

  


_"Tai, if you're taking a picture of me wearing this, it'll be the last thing you do."_

_"Aw c'mon, Qrow. You know you'd do it if I was the one in the skirt."_

_Qrow growled, scowling at Tai as he took the photo._

_Tai couldn't help noticing Qrow had made a point of lifting one leg up onto the chair beside him as he posed for the photo._

__  


_Summer and Raven giggled._

_"Quick Tai, take the picture... he'll wake up in a minute."_

_As Tai tapped the screen, he said, "To be honest, he looks pretty good wearing make up. I could probably go for him myself... if it wasn't for you." He dropped the scroll and made a grab for Raven._

_Qrow slept on, oblivious._

__  


_"Just one more, Qrow. Try to look menacing... yeah, that's it."_

_"Tai, I didn't alter my expression at all."_

_Tai framed the shot so the light sparkled off Harbinger's scythe blade, and took several photos._

_"I know. I've given up trying to get you to smile, it's too much like hard work."_

_"Let's have a look, then." Qrow gazed at Tai's scroll. "Are you sure Yang wants a picture of me for her school project?"_

_"She insisted."_

_Qrow smiled at the thought. Tai pinched his cheek._

_"See, you can do it if you try."_

  


Tai swiped through the album. There were many more photos of Qrow, his hair a little greyer each time.

Zwei sat up suddenly, his ears pricking. Tai closed his scroll.

"What is it, boy? What did you hear?"

Moments later Tai heard the sound of the kitchen door opening. Zwei jumped down and trotted from the room. He barked a couple of times, then was quiet.

A somewhat dishevelled figure paused in the doorway, his smile widening when he saw Tai on the sofa. Tai pushed himself to standing.

"You're back early... I thought it wasn't until next week?"

"Well, we got it sorted quicker than expected... and I wanted to get home and see my husband."

Qrow pulled Tai close, adding in a whisper, "I've missed you, dragon boy."

Tai's arms went around Qrow's neck. "And we've missed you."

Zwei was snuffling Qrow's legs, jumping up and pawing at his trousers. Qrow kissed Tai gently on the mouth, then crouched down and scratched at Zwei's body. "Come on, Zwei. Give me a few minutes with the man I love."

" _A few minutes_? Is that all I'm worth?" Tai flung a tragic hand against his forehead.

"You're a complete duffer. But once Zwei has settled down, I'll give you all the time you want."

Tai ruffled his hair. "That's more like it."

  


Lying together later, when Tai was cradled in Qrow's arms, he said, "Ruby and Yang want to do something special for our five years. Not sure what they have in mind..."

Qrow hummed. "It'll just be nice to see them. Maybe a meal? I know that's not amazingly different, but... it'll suit me, if you're happy with that."

Tai stroked Qrow's chest lightly. "Five years, Qrow. Can you believe it?"

Qrow kissed the blond hair. "I can, because I've thanked the Brothers every day. It took us a while, but hey, we got there in the end."

"We sure did." Tai snuggled a little closer.

Qrow murmured his appreciation. "It's so good to be back here, with you." His voice was sleepy, and Tai pressed a kiss against his chest.

"Can't argue with that."

**Author's Note:**

> Friendly comments always appreciated, thank you.


End file.
